


Brain and Body

by teeth_eater



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dehydration, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Aid, Heat Stroke, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, M/M, Protective BadBoyHalo, Size Difference, Spiders, The Nether (Minecraft), Vomiting, Whump, bad is nine feet tall in this one, because i like it, protective skeppy, skeppy almost dies for being a simp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:54:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29388726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teeth_eater/pseuds/teeth_eater
Summary: A series of hurt/comfort requests from tumblr, centering around Skeppy and Bad.1. Shaking and Shivering- Badboyhalo2. Heat Stroke- Skeppy3. Spider Bite- Badboyhalo
Relationships: BadBoyHalo & Skeppy, BadBoyHalo/Skeppy, if you want it to be - Relationship
Comments: 26
Kudos: 292





	1. Shaking and Shivering-- Hypothermia

**Author's Note:**

> This prompt comes to us from ssclownshine!  
> 'shaking and shivering... world hard and cold, boyfriend soft and warm. Could go hand and hand with fever." 
> 
> I might be writing a part two with fever, where Bad deals with the aftermath of hypothermia!

Winter comes down on them hard, which means a few months inside for any Netherborn citizens of the SMP. Some, like Techno, would just bundle up as much as they could and tough it out, but even then they couldn't stay outside for more than a few minutes without starting to shiver. 

Bad would be completely willing to do outdoor work as quickly as possible, but every winter Skeppy corrals him to stay in the warmth of the house, shoving him in front of the fireplace or dumping spare blankets on him if his friend deemed him to look too cold. Bad thinks it’s sweet, even if it can be irritating to stay inside for months on end. 

So during the winter months, Skeppy does outdoor jobs like chopping wood and farming, and Bad stays home to cook and maintain the house. It’s pleasantly domestic, if not a bit boring. 

It is on one of these cold nights when Skeppy doesn't come home on time. He was out in the woods on what he called a ‘spruce mission’, and had agreed to be home by dinnertime. Well, dinner is finished, a rather beautiful roast chicken if Bad does say so himself, and Skeppy is nowhere to be found. Bad thrashes his tail anxiously but puts dinner back in the oven to stay warm while he waits for his friend’s return. 

  
  


Bad begins pacing when the sun starts to set, tail whipping back and forth without his notice. He takes to staring out the window like a grieving widow, only standing when the sun completely sinks below the horizon and mobs start to rise. 

Clearly, something is wrong. Skeppy may be a bit scatterbrained at times, but he isn't stupid, and he knows better than to stay out past dark. Bad scans the room for a coat that would fit him, but with him being far too tall for any of Skeppy’s coats, and the fact that he didn't go out in the cold enough to rationalize getting one tailor-made, he just wraps a fleece blanket around his shoulders and hopes it will be enough to keep him warm. 

When Bad steps out into the cold he immediately draws into himself. His body heat melts the snow around his feet, with his skin being much warmer than any overworld-dweller. He catches sight of Skeppy’s footprints and begins following them, trying to move quickly. The sooner he gets out of this cold the better. 

_________________

  
  


Bad’s been outside for about half an hour, and he is colder than he has ever been in his life. Every slight breeze forces a harsh, gasping breath out of him, no matter how tightly he pulls his blanket around him. He is shouting out for someone, but his own voice is masked by the roaring in his ears, and he can't quite remember why he is yelling. His brain feels like mush, and the corners of his vision are going black. 

That seems pretty bad. 

Bad distantly realizes he had lost Skeppy’s tracks a while back and is now wandering aimlessly in the woods. He swallows, his throat strangely dry. He is shaking so badly he can hardly hold the blanket around him. He lets it fall, it isn't like it’s making much of a difference right now anyway. 

Someone shouts his name, sounding alarmed, but he can't do more than turn to look at them blearily. The person, a light blue haze, grabs his hands, and Bad almost sobs in relief at the heat radiating from him. Skeppy’s mouth is moving quickly, and he looks scared, and Bad hates it when his friend is scared. He opens his mouth to comfort him, but the only thing that comes to mind is: “You missed dinner.” 

He says as much and then promptly passes out in the snow, falling asleep despite Skeppy frantically shaking his shoulder and pleading for him to stay awake.

________________

  
  


So Skeppy had gotten a little bit lost while trying to tame a dog to bring home to Bad. Now he has no dog and no way home. To make matters worse he's probably missing dinner right now. Shit. 

The only bright side to this was that he couldn't exactly freeze to death. No matter how cold it gets, when someone is mostly made of diamond it can be pretty difficult to freeze them out. Skeppy is staring at the ground, trying to find his own footprints to lead him back home, but freezes when he hears a familiar voice call out, sounding weak and slightly slurred. 

“SKEPPY!” It calls. Skeppy turns on his heel and bolts in the direction of the sound. If Bad is out here… well Skeppy is going to be very pissed for one thing. For another, his friend probably isn't going to be getting out of bed for a week if he’s lucky. 

Skeppy bursts into a clearing where Bad stands, wobbling dangerously, and Skeppy is at his side in an instant, grabbing his hands and trying to steady him. Bad runs hot, as all netherborn do, and Skeppy gasps in horror at how ice-cold his friend’s hands are. He brings them up to his mouth and starts huffing warm breath onto them, hopefully preventing what is sure to be frostbite if they don't get out of here soon. Skeppy looks up to Bad’s face, biting his lip nervously when he sees Bad’s opalescent eyes unfocused, staring past him. Bad lists to the left and Skeppy scrambles to support his weight. 

“Bad!” Skeppy yelps. “Oh my god, what are you doing out here! It’s freezing!” Bad blinks at him dumbly, face washed out enough that it looks grey instead of its usual void-black color. 

“You missed dinner.” He says plainly and then goes completely limp, falling into the snow. Skeppy tries to hold him up, but realistically that was never going to happen. Bad is a nine-foot-tall demon, after all. Skeppy gets down on his knees and starts to shake Bad’s shoulders, though he knows it will do no good if he’s been out here long enough to pass out. 

Skeppy sits back, mind going a million miles an hour as he tries to figure out how he’s going to get Bad home. He can't carry him, that much is certain, and he wracks his brain for someone who can get to them quickly enough that Bad won’t die.

It won’t be permanent, of course, Bad has gone into detail about how their souls are linked, but that doesn't mean it won’t affect him. Everyone is laid up for a while after respawning, even demons, and since this death would be a slow one, he could be cold for weeks before managing to fully warm up. Skeppy makes a desperate noise in the back of his throat at his friend’s potential misery and pulls out his communicator, wincing slightly at the many missed messages from Bad. This all could have been avoided if he had remembered to turn it on this morning. 

He pulls up Quackity’s information, having to tap the screen a couple of times because of his cold fingers. 

You whispered to Quackity: come meet me and bad in the woods near our base

You whispered to Quackity: rn

Quackity whispered to you: ooooooooooooooo what should i wear lol ;)??????

You whispered to Quackity: please man

You whispered to Quackity: bad is hypothermic 

Quackity whispered to you: omw. rub his arms to get some heat back in them. 

Skeppy shoves the com back into his pocket with a sigh of relief, grateful that he at least has some form of backup. Quackity is an avian, although he doesn't often have his wings out and almost never flies. Skeppy knows he would if there is an emergency. 

He follows Quackity’s instruction, rubbing his hands up and down Bad’s arms as quickly as he can, hoping the friction will bring back some heat to his friend’s trembling form. Bad gasps quietly every few seconds, tapering off into whimpers, and Skeppy swears he can feel his heart break into a million pieces at the sound of his friend’s pain. 

After a few minutes, Skeppy takes to watching the skies, his hands still never ceasing in their attempts to warm Bad up. Eventually, finally, Skeppy can see Quackity, silhouetted against the darkening sky, and he waves his arms to get his attention, shouting into the air. 

“QUACKITY! WE’RE DOWN HERE!” Skeppy bellows. Quackity comes to an abrupt stop from where he had been circling and falls into a dive, hitting the ground harder than he usually would and stumbling forward to the two other occupants of the clearing, sending snow flying under his shoes. 

Quackity falls to his knees next to Bad’s prone form, hovering his hands over the unconscious demon. His head snaps up to Skeppy, and he is surprised to see an uncharacteristically serious expression in the younger man’s eyes. 

“How far away is your base?” He asks, rubbing his hands over Bad’s arms. Skeppy makes a frustrated noise in the back of his throat. 

“I don't know! I got lost and he came after me!” Skeppy hisses. Quackity nods, apparently unbothered by Skeppy’s snappishness. 

“Alright, I saw lights on my way here, so we’ll head towards that,” Quackity says firmly and then stands. “I don't want to drag him through the snow and make him colder, but I can't lift him by myself. You're going to have to take his legs while I take his arms.” 

Skeppy nods and helps Quackity adjust Bad so that his arms are wrapped around the younger man’s shoulders. Quackity waits for Skeppy to get a good hold on Bad’s legs, and then starts walking as fast he can while carrying Bad. Skeppy struggles to keep up, and he stumbles a few times, but there is no way he is going to drop Bad. 

  
  


_____________________

  
  


By the time they return to Bad and Skeppy’s base Bad has stopped shivering, which makes Skeppy’s heart twist with worry. Quackity kicks the front door open, unable to use his hands, and Skeppy barely spares a thought to the fact that the hinges will need to be replaced, too focused on the fact that Bad’s heart rate is probably slowing down. 

Quackity hurries inside and dumps Bad on the couch. Skeppy takes position by his side, grasping his much larger hand in his, as Quackity goes to shoulder check the door back in to place. The last thing they needed was for some stray mob to get in and distract them from getting Bad the help he needs. Skeppy looks up, mouth open to ask Quackity a question, but freezes when he sees Quackity with his shirt and jacket discarded on the floor, and his pants halfway off, struggling to get out of them. 

Skeppy shakes his head, writing it off as one of the man’s many eccentricities, and turns his attention back to Bad. It is only when Quackity walks over and begins to try to pull off Bad’s clothes that Skeppy stops him. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Skeppy asks, trying to rein in his anger at the Quackity’s clear breaking of boundaries. Quackity blinks at him but doesn't seem ashamed of his actions in the slightest. 

"His clothes are wet, if we don't get them off he isn't going to warm up," Quackity explains, hands going back to the zipper of Bad's jacket. 

"Okay, but why are you in your underwear?" Skeppy asks, knocking Quackity's hands aside and taking Quackity's place in removing Bad's wet clothes. In their long years of friendship, they had seen each other in various states of undress, and even unconscious, Skeppy was sure Bad would be more comfortable with Skeppy undressing him. 

"Body heat is the safest way to warm someone up. I'd want you to do it since you two are so close," Quackity shoots him an exaggerated wink and Skeppy rolls his eyes. "But since you're, you know, made of diamond, you arent going to be very warm." 

Quackity goes to stoke the dying fire while Skeppy removes Bad's wet clothes, shushing Bad whenever he makes a pained noise. 

Once Bad is out of his wet clothes and in a set of dry pajamas and the fire is roaring loudly in the center of the room, Skeppy and Quackity drag Bad to lie in front of the fireplace. Quackity presses Bad's back against his chest, sighing in relief when he feels the demon begin to shiver once again. 

"Skeppy, would you go get a couple of blankets and pillows? There's nothing to do now but sleep it off, and I don't think we can lift him into his bed." 

Skeppy nods and walks to the linen closet as fast as he can without drawing suspicion. He doesn't want to be away from Bad for any stretch of time right now. They may be out of the woods for now, but Skeppy's hands are still shaking with residual adrenaline. He takes a couple of blankets down from a low shelf and grabs two pillows from his bed on the way back. 

When he gets back to Bad and Quackity he throws the blankets at Quackity's head, careful to miss both Bad and the fireplace. Quackity shrieks in surprise, flailing his arms in front of him. He fixes Skeppy with a halfhearted glare as he adjusts the blankets and pillows around Bad. 

Skeppy shoves one of the blankets aside and lies on top of Bad, sighing deeply. He watches through half-lidded eyes as Quackity struggles to sit up, not yet realizing that Bad has wrapped his arms around the dark-haired man and is not going to let go any time soon. 

"Don't bother," Skeppy drawls with a small chuckle. "He's a sleep cuddler, and very strong." 

Quackity grumbles in irritation but settles back down. 

"Goddamnit," He mutters. "I had shit I needed to get done." Skeppy yawns widely, eyes drooping after the terror that had been coursing through him for the past hour. 

"Suck it up, you said body heat would warm him up, you're helping," Skeppy says, tugging the blanket back over himself. 

"I wouldn't be bragging," Quackity says teasingly. "If he's holding me in his sleep he clearly likes me more." 

Skeppy reaches out and lightly punches Quackity in the arm.

"Oh shut up," He mutters, and then relaxes as the room settles into quiet. He falls asleep to the comforting feeling of Bad's trembling slowly tapering off. 

________________

Bad wakes up with no memories of the previous night, which is unusual, to say the least. As much as his friends like to joke, he is not that heavy of a drinker. Bad blinks open his eyes with a groan. He does feel a little hungover, but there is no residual taste of alcohol in his mouth. He nearly screams with surprise when the first thing he sees is Quackity's sleeping face. He does scream when he realizes that Quackity is wearing nothing but boxer shorts. 

He snaps into a sitting position, which sends Skeppy, who had been sleeping on Bad's back, to the floor. Quackity jolts awake to the sound of Bad's shout, and he rubs his eyes sleepily, groaning in displeasure at the rude awakening. 

"What is  _ happening _ ?" Bad asks, panic at the strangeness of the situation overtaking him. 

Quackity doesn't answer, instead just getting up and beginning to pull his pants back on from where his clothes lay in a pile near the door. 

" _ Someone _ thought it would be a good idea to go out looking for me in the middle of winter," Skeppy answers, irritation shining through. "Quackity was closest, so he helped get you back home." 

"Alright... why isn't he wearing any clothes?" Bad asks warily. 

"Body heat is the safest way to warm somebody up without sending them into shock, apparently," Skeppy says, rolling his shoulders to work out the stiffness of sleeping on the floor. "Quackity knows a weird amount of first aid for hypothermia." 

Quackity snorts from across the room where he is zipping up his jacket. 

"You would too if you walked around without clothes on as much as I do," Quackity jokes, walking back to Bad. 

Bad puts a hand over his face to hopefully hide his embarrassed flush. 

"Guys, I'm really sorry for putting you through that, I just... hate sitting home all winter. Especially when I don't know where you are, Skeppy, it makes me feel so helpless." 

Quackity pulls the demon into a side hug with a bright smile. 

"Hey man, I'd rather you crush me in your sleep than die of hypothermia any day." He says. Bad only has a moment to feel touched at the sentiment before Quackity continues. "Besides, I got to feel up your hot muscles all night!" 

Bad shrieks and chases Quackity into the kitchen. Quackity laughs loudly, shoving Bad out of the room and telling him to go lie down while he heats up breakfast. 

Bad plans to start on his chores the moment Quackity has his back turned, but those plans are spoiled when Quackity puts Skeppy on 'Bad Watch', ordering his friend not to let Bad overexert himself. Bad resigns himself to his fate with an overdramatic sigh, letting Skeppy dote on him until Quackity was finished in the kitchen. 

Quackity brings out a plate of reheated scones that Bad had made a few days earlier. They are a little stale, but they still taste good. They eat in front of the fire, conversation flowing easily through the three of them, laughter booming off the walls of the house. 

Bad has never felt warmer. 


	2. Heat Stroke-- Skeppy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS NOT A HOW-TO GUIDE FOR FIRST AID  
> If you suspect someone is suffering from heatstroke call an ambulance. This can cause seizures and be deadly. DO NOT TAKE FANFICTION FIRST AID AS RULE, ALWAYS CONSULT A DOCTOR.  
> This is all for fun and may not be medically accurate, as they are a diamond guy and a demon living in a magical fantasy world. Stay safe and enjoy!
> 
> Also this chapter was requested by Anonymous! If you have an idea for a chapter, send it to @ratspleen on tumblr 👍

Nether trips weren't uncommon, but they were often reserved for traveling long distances in short spans of time. When the occasion came up that one needed to spend the day there, whether that be for trading or for gathering resources, any overworld dweller would stay near the portal to avoid getting stuck and overheating. Of course, Netherborn don't have this problem and tend to spend much more time in the Nether, as they are more comfortable in their home climate. 

Skeppy insisted on accompanying Bad on his mission to get blaze powder, not wanting to stay home and do nothing all day while he waited for his friend to return. 

"-and besides," Skeppy jokes. "Without me there you'll lose track of time and stay there all month." Bad laughs sheepishly, both of them thinking back to when Bad had worried Skeppy sick by staying in the Nether for four straight days without noticing. With no sun to keep track of time and a lack of an internal clock, Bad had gotten so caught up in mining netherite that Skeppy thought he had been kidnapped by Piglins. 

Needless to say, Skeppy was not pleased when he stormed into the Nether in full diamond, ready to raise Hell to get his friend back, only to find said friend peacefully tending to a netherwort garden. 

Neither of them would really like a repeat of that event, and so Skeppy is going to accompany Bad on his Nether trip. Bad complains about having to keep an eye on Skeppy the whole time, but Skeppy knows he appreciates the company. 

Bad has been looking forward to the trip since it was planned days ago, seemingly even more excited than he had been when he went alone. On the day the two of them were slated to leave, Bad woke Skeppy up at six am, like a child on Christmas, tapping his foot impatiently while Skeppy ate breakfast. 

When the two of them set out, Bad takes off towards the portal with an excited whooping sound. Skeppy doesn't even try to keep pace, instead walking leisurely towards the portal, a teasing smile growing on his face as Bad stares at him impatiently. Bad rushes back to him, pulling him by his hoodie sleeve. 

"C'mooonnn, Geppy!" He whines, tugging harder. Skeppy knows it's all for show, if Bad wanted to he could just pick him up by his hood and carry him to the portal like a kitten.

Skeppy laughs at the comedically heartbroken look on Bad's face and breaks into a dead sprint towards the portal. Bad perks up immediately, and then they are racing. 

Bad wins, of course, as his legs are much longer than Skeppy's, but they both reach the portal laughing, and step inside the swirling purple haze with high spirits, trying to shove each other out of the portal as they go through, snickering as the other stumbles. 

_______________

The two of them spend the next few hours wandering around looking for a nether fortress that hasn't been raided to high heaven yet. Occasionally fighting off hostile mobs not warded off by their golden boots. When the ground underneath their feet turns from netherrack to netherbrick, they breathe a simultaneous sigh of relief that the search is over. 

The two of them massacre any mobs that come their way, and it isn't long before they have more than enough blaze powder to make enough potions for an army. Skeppy stretches, hairline beading with sweat despite the dry air, and takes off his hoodie, tying it around his waist. 

"Well, that's what we came for," Skeppy says, pushing his damp hair out of his eyes. "You ready to go?" Bad frowns, looking longingly out over the red skyline. 

"Oh... but we could still loot the chests, I don't think anyone's been here and there could be some cool stuff!" 

Skeppy doesn't think the chests will have anything they don't have at home, but he isn't going to pull Bad away from the Nether when he has been looking forward to visiting for so long. Bad doesn't like to complain, but Skeppy knows that the overworld will never be the same as the Nether for him. 

So Skeppy follows his friend, the oppressing heat offset slightly by the wide smile on Bad's face. 

___________________

It takes another hour for them to loot the chests, and by then Skeppy's hands have started to tremble. He stuffs them in his pockets and then takes them out just as quickly, the heat of the cloth making him wince. Bad seems to be enjoying himself, though, pointing out landmarks he recognized from when he was younger and tearing through wither skeletons with childlike glee. 

Skeppy opens his mouth to ask if they can start heading back to the portal, but closes it when he catches the open joy on Bad's face as he pats a magma cube. Skeppy smiles at the sight. He can handle a little bit of heat for Bad's sake. 

___________________

They’ve been in the nether for around four hours when Skeppy stops speaking. It takes Bad an upsettingly long time to notice how quiet his usually exuberant friend is being. When he turns to look at the younger man, Skeppy is pale and sweaty, blinking hard and bracing himself against the netherbrick wall as though he was having trouble standing up. 

"Are you okay?" Bad asks, moving to stand next to his friend. Skeppy waves him off even as Bad helps him stay on his feet. 

"I'm fine, Bad," Skeppy says. "Just a hot flash. Not used to this weather." 

Bad rolls his eyes fondly at the joke, relived that Skeppy hadn't tried to come to the Nether while sick. He doesn't catch the tremble in Skeppy's voice, too caught up in the euphoria of being where he belongs. He resolves to keep a closer eye on his friend to make sure his condition doesn't worsen, but is distracted quickly when Skeppy suggests collecting enderpearls while they're here. 

Skeppy doesn't help much, but Bad appreciates his friend watching his back, shouting a warning from the sidelines whenever an enderman tries to attack him from behind. Bad has thirty-two enderpearls by the time he is satisfied, and finally decides he can no longer put off going back to the overworld. They must have been here for the entire day by now, and this is nowhere near a comfortable environment for Skeppy. Bad walks to where Skeppy is dozing underneath a warped tree, though it provides no shelter from the heat, and nudges him with his foot. Skeppy groans as he wakes, and Bad frowns at the realization that his friend is still pale and shaking. 

"You ready to head back, Skeppy?" Bad asks gently, eyebrows furrowed in concern. Skeppy huffs out an agreement and takes Bad's offered hand to pull himself into a standing position. They head back through the fortress to get back to the pathway they had taken there. Skeppy lags behind despite Bad's efforts to go slower than usual so his friend can keep up. Bad bites his lip anxiously, watching his friend slowly move one foot in front of the other, eyes hazy and unfocused. He wonders if Skeppy had been injured at some point and was hiding it. It certainly wouldn't be the first time that had happened. 

Bad reaches the threshold of the fortress and waits paitenly for Skeppy to reach him. It takes much longer than usual for him to arrive by Bad's side, and he says nothing as he looks out over the nether. Skeppy sways in place for a moment, and then crumples to the ground soundlessly. 

Bad lets out an alarmed shout and dives to catch his friend. He manages to grab him before he hits the ground and carefully lowers Skeppy into his lap, not wanting to lie his friend on the netherrack and risk burning his friend’s more heat-senstive skin. His hands move to Skeppy’s slack face, careful not to nick him with his claws. Bad gently slaps his friend’s face in an attempt to wake him, but this achives nothing but drawing a weak groan out of Skeppy. Bad puts two large fingers to Skeppy's throat, checking his friend's pulse, hoping against hope that it's still there. 

Bad nearly sobs in relief when he feels it. It’s thready and too-fast, but blessedly still there. Skeppy's eyes blink open, though they seem to look through Bad without seeing him. 

"Skeppy? Oh my goodness, are you okay?" Bad asks frantically.

"Bad?" Skeppy asks hoarsely, voice trembling. "What's happening?" 

"We're in the Nether," Bad explains, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. "You blacked out, I'm gonna have to carry you home, is that all right?" 

Skeppy reaches up wraps his arms weakly around his neck, prompting Bad to scoop him into a bridal carry. 

"Dont drop me..." Skeppy mutters before falling back into unconsciousness. 

"I won’t," Bad mutters, though there is now no one around to hear it. He tries to think of what could be happening to his friend, racking his brain to recall the book he had studied at home on common ailments that affected Overworld dwellers. He had bought it soon after moving in with Skeppy, wanting to be ready in case the younger man got hurt. His mind lands on a particular page about heatstroke, and he pales when he remembers what was written at the bottom of the page in big red letters. 

_ Deadly _ . 

He adjusts Skeppy in his arms to hold the younger man more securely, not wanting to drop his precious cargo, takes a deep breath, and then starts to sprint in the direction of the portal. 

He doesn't use his top speed in the Overworld, as he is often halted by rivers and stones that trip him up, but here in the Nether, where he is most suited, he is an apex predator.

And he is a  _ fast _ one. 

They make it to the portal in minutes, an impressive feat considering it had taken hours to get to the fortress. Bad is heaving for breath by the time he reaches the obsidian structure, Skeppy still held securely in his arms, but he doesn't stop to catch his breath, too eager to get Skeppy out of the Nether and back into the relatively cool air of the Overworld. 

Bad steps through the purple mist, waiting for the nauseating transition between dimensions to take place, tapping his foot impatiently as he waits to be transported, biting his lip when he hears Skeppy whine uncomfortably in his arms. Bad knows they have made the transition between dimensions when a rush of cool air sweeps over him, though he can still only see swirling purple. Bad bounces on his heels, ready to book it to the house as soon as the world fades in. The roaring sound of the portal fades, and the green of the surrounding trees slowly appears. Bad darts out of the portal, no longer able to use his top speed, but still moving faster than an average person, what with his long stride. 

Bad opens the door to their house as soon as they arrive and gently sets Skeppy down on the floor, not wanting to put him on a couch or bed where the insulation from the cloth might make him overheat even more. 

Bad rushes to the bookshelf, grabbing the thick tome of medical jargon, and then moves back to Skeppy, sitting next to him on the floor as he flips through the book frantically. Letting out a brief shout of victory as he finds the page he had been looking for. 

He reads the first aid section as fast as he can without missing any information, and then throws the book to the side, though he is careful not to lose his place. He picks Skeppy up again, holding his friend's head up so it won’t loll and give him a crick, and runs to the bathroom, setting the smaller man down on the floor to free his hands. Bad runs the bath, making sure the water is cool but not cold so as not to lower his temperature too fast and send him into shock, and then carefully lowers Skeppy in, only taking time to take off his friend's hoodie from around his waist, not wanting to waste time with the rest of his clothes. 

Bad places ice wrapped in a wet cloth on his friend's forehead, neck, and armpits to help cool the too-warm blood that is circulating through his friend, never leaving his side as he cooled down, not wanting his friend to sink underwater and drown while he was unconscious. 

It takes around forty minutes for Skeppy's temperature to go back to normal, and Bad heaves a huge sigh of relief when he sees the thermometer’s reading go back to a steady 97.5. Bad grabs Skeppy under the arms and heaves him out of the tub, not caring that he's dripping water all over the floor. 

He towels his friend off and dries his hair, not wanting him to catch a cold after all of this, and then removes Skeppy's wet clothes, changing him into an overlarge t-shirt and pajama pants. He puts Skeppy into his bed, hesitating a moment before pulling only Skeppy's sheets over him, rather than the blanket. Skeppy may be back at a normal temperature, but Bad doesn't really know how heatstroke works, and he doesn't want to risk anything. 

He watches Skeppy sleep for a few minutes. He knows it's a bit creepy, but he can’t find it in him to leave his friend alone after he blacked out and nearly died. No one in the Nether has to deal with heatstroke, they wouldn't last long out there if they did, and Bad doesn't really know if Skeppy is out of the woods yet. He couldn't sleep in the same bed as him though, not if he didn’t want to risk overheating his friend for a second time.

Bad sighs as he makes his decision, leaving the room to get his bedding and hurrying back as quickly as he can. He dumps his blankets and pillows in a pile next to Skeppy's bed and lies down, exhaustion from the scare setting in and pulling him into sleep. Skeppy rolls over in his sleep, hand falling off the bed, and Bad takes it in his without thinking. 

__________________

  
  


Skeppy wakes up to Bad holding his hand, which immediately tells him something went wrong during their trip to the Nether. Skeppy sits up, blinking in surprise to see Bad sleeping on the floor next to his bed rather than curled around him as he would usually be when Skeppy gets injured.

Skeppy tries to remember what happened, but can only remember a haze of discomfort and confusion. And heat. There was definitely a lot of that. Skeppy doesn't get a chance to think on it further, as his shifting has woken Bad, who grumbles and buries his face deeper into the pillow before seemingly remembering why he is sleeping on the floor and snapping awake. 

"Skeppy!" Bad cheers, tackling him into a hug. Skeppy laughs and pats Bad's back, wincing at how dry his throat is. 

"Hey Bad, what happened?" Skeppy asks, voice barely audible past his hoarseness. Bad opens his mouth to answer before his white eyes go wide and he stands up. 

"Oh my goodness you must be so thirsty! Hold on, I'll be right back!" He says, darting out of the room. Skeppy blinks at the suddenness of the movement, barely having time to wonder what has got Bad all riled up before the man himself returns, true to his word, with a glass of water. Skeppy can feel everything in his body sing at the sight, and he reaches out for it. 

Bad hands it to him, and Skeppy drinks it as fast as he can, only stopping when Bad pulls it out of his hands, not giving it back even when Skeppy whines at him and collapses dramatically onto the bed. 

"Baaaaaddddddd... why are you depriving me of water? I'm literally dying of thirst." Skeppy pleads. Bad, to his credit, only looks slightly guilty. 

"Skeppy, you have to drink in little sips, you're going to make yourself sick." Bad scolds, handing the glass of water back to him. Skeppy obliges, if only so Bad won’t snatch the water away from him again. Bad goes to get him another glass when the first one is empty, and he drains that one too. 

Once his throat is no longer as dry as a desert, and his voice isn't as hoarse as it had been, Skeppy finally asks what happened. 

"You... you got heatstroke," Bad says, picking at his claws and looking guilty, though Skeppy couldn't imagine why. "Skeppy... You- I'm really sorry. You kept asking to go back and I ignored you." 

To Skeppy's horror, Bad's eyes begin to well with tears. 

"You-you could have  _ die-died _ , ‘Geppy," Bad says, voice thick. "Because I wasnt listening an-and-" 

"Woah, woah, woah, hey!" Skeppy inturupts frantically, waving his hands in front of Bad's face to break him out of his oncoming spiral. "That wasn't your fault, okay! Sure you could have listened a bit better, but you were excited to be back in the Nether. And besides, I wasnt exactly transparent about how I was feeling. I didnt want to make you feel like you had to go back to the Overworld just because I was overheating a little." 

Bad looks at him like he had just said that the world was made of pudding. 

"Skeppy, of  _ course _ we had to go home! You could have  _ died _ ! Your health is  _ always _ going to be more important than me hanging out in the Nether! Even if you were just a little uncomfortable, I would have taken you home if you had told me!" 

Skeppy smiles at the sentiment and opens his arms for a hug. Bad takes the offer with no hesitation, and Skeppy soon has an armful of emotional demon. 

"How about this," Skeppy says. "Next time we go to the Nether-" Bad makes a small, discontented growl at the idea of Skeppy going back to the Nether. "-Next time we will be more careful of the risks and try to listen to each other more. 

"That sounds good, though I don't know that either of us are gonna be going back to the Nether any time soon," Bad says. Skeppy laughs

"That's probably for the best." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter in which Skeppy almost fucking dies because he was being a simp. Leave a comment if you enjoyed, and if you have a request for a chapter you can send an ask on my tumblr @ratspleen
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Spider Bite - Badboyhalo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS:  
> -vomiting  
> -suffocation (closest comparison would be an asthma attack)
> 
> this chapter is a hell of a lot gayer than the other ones. just so you know. i mean they're still homies, they're just homies who do the kiss of life. 
> 
> BIG THANKS TO COMMIEINNIT ON TUMBLR FOR BETA READING FOR ME <3 YOU"RE A REAL ONE
> 
> this prompt is from firepowder on tumblr!

  
  


Never let it be said that Bad doesn't do his research. When he decided to move to the Overworld, he began studying the culture and differences between his species and the ones that populated his current plane of residence. One very interesting difference between Overworld dwellers and Netherborn was their resistance to environmental hazards. 

You see, when a species evolves in the Nether, they evolve to prevent injuries from fire and extreme heat. Residents of the Overworld had no need to develop resistance to these things, as uncommon as they were, and so instead grew to resist poisons, infections, and other more common ailments. 

There is also the fact that most Overworld dwellers have evolved to fear spiders. Skeppy is no exception. 

The small ones seem to scare him more than the large ones they face nightly, apparently some leftover instinct from when his species hadn't yet evolved to properly process the venom. 

Knowing why it scares his friend so much doesn't stop Bad from doubling over with laughter when he sees Skeppy practically climb the wall to get away from the tiny spider sitting innocently on their coffee table. 

The younger man had screamed so loudly that Bad had thought for sure their house was under attack and had rushed in as fast as he could, grabbing his sword, which now hangs unused at his waist. 

"Oh my goodness, Skeppy!" Bad chokes out past his laughter. "It's  _ tiny _ !" Skeppy glares at him from where he is currently perched atop the cabinet. 

"It's fucking freaky is what it is!" Skeppy shoots back, seemingly trying to press himself into the wall and disappear. 

"Language!" Bad says, scandalized. Skeppy makes a frantic hand movement towards the spider in lieu of an apology, so Bad sighs and turns to the small arachnid. 

"Hello, little guy," Bad mutters to it as he sets his hand down on the coffee table for it to climb onto. "You've gotta go into the garden." 

From where he sits on the cupboard, Skeppy makes a choked noise of horror. 

"Bad! What are you  _ doing _ ? Don't pick it up with your hands!" He shrieks, eyes blown wide with horror. Bad levels him with an unimpressed look. 

"Skeppy. It's a spider." 

"It  _ bites _ ." Skeppy counters. 

Bad rolls his eyes, remembering when Skeppy had gotten bit by a spider in his sleep. It wasn't worse than a mosquito bite, and at the end of the day, his friend's disgust that a spider had touched him far outweighed the actual discomfort of the bite. 

"You are such a baby." Bad mutters, intentionally loud enough for Skeppy to hear. He makes an offended noise and wobbles dangerously from his perch. Bad eyes him warily, knowing that if he tries to catch Skeppy while holding a spider his friend is probably not going to speak to him for a week at least.

In the end, the whole ordeal only takes about thirty seconds. Bad walks the spider outside in his cupped hands and sets it down in the flowers. It stares at him for a moment before crawling off, disappearing into the flowerbed. Bad watches it scamper away before huffing out a laugh at his friend's dramatics and standing back up. 

When Bad gets back inside, Skeppy is standing at the door, peeking into Bad's hands to see if the spider is really gone. Bad spends a few minutes chasing his friend around with outstretched hands, threatening to get the 'spider germs' on his friend.

Things have calmed down by dinner, and the spider is all but forgotten. Skeppy gives him a pointed look when he sees Bad scratching at his hand with the points of his claws. 

"I told you not to pick that thing up," Skeppy says in his 'I-told-you-so' voice that immediately has Bad rolling his eyes. 

"Oh hush," Bad says, not willing to admit that Skeppy was right. It isn't that bad anyway. Bad is a full-grown demon. He can handle a little bit of itching. 

_______________

Bad wakes up in the middle of the night, which is unusual, to say the least. He prides himself on his healthy sleep schedule. He lies still for a moment, trying to figure out what had woken him. The demon lifts his head to look around the room, wondering if perhaps Skeppy had come in to prank him while he was sleeping. The movement alerts him to what is wrong immediately. 

He feels  _ awful _ . 

His head and neck hurt, and his stomach is twisting unpleasantly, not to mention the fact that he is covered in a cold sweat that assures him of a fever. He wants nothing more than to lie back down and deal with it in the morning, but those plans are dashed almost as soon as they come into his mind when his stomach lurches dangerously. Bad throws his blankets off of himself without thinking and rushes to the bathroom as fast as his long legs can take him. 

He makes it, thank goodness. He does  _ not _ want to clean up vomit when he feels like he's about to keel over. He coughs up a bit of bile and groans into the water, the smell of acid and the new burning pain in his throat making tears spring to his eyes.

He sniffles, not having the energy to be embarrassed about crying. White tears drip into the water, and Bad crosses his arms on the toilet seat and lays his head atop them, too sick to worry about germs. He doesn't manage to keep any more of his dinner down for more than a minute, no matter how hard he tries to control his breathing. 

Once Bad has expelled everything left in his stomach, he hears the distinct sound of his friend running in his direction, the clinking of his hardened skin against the floor too distinct to mistake for anyone else. Skeppy bursts into the bathroom with a wild look in his eyes. His hair is all squished to one side and he is still in his pajamas, which makes Bad chuckle and then immediately regret it when he gags again. 

Luckily nothing comes up, but Skeppy kneels next to him and rubs a hand in circles on his back anyway. 

"Bad? Are you okay?" Skeppy asks, chuckling nervously when Bad shoots him a dry look over the rim of the toilet bowl. "Sorry, dumb question." 

Skeppy pries him off of the toilet and Bad settles his head into his friend's lap, fighting the urge to fall asleep on the bathroom floor. Skeppy's fingers tangle in his hair and bump up against his horns every few seconds. The rhythm is soothing, though it doesn't take away any pain. 

"Was it something you ate?" Skeppy asks gently. Bad hates it when he speaks gently, it always means there's something wrong. Usually with Bad. The demon shrugs, trying to dredge up the energy to speak. 

"I don't think so," Bad croaks, and the worry on Skeppy's face only grows at the hoarseness in his voice. "You would be sick too, we ate the same thing." Skeppy hums thoughtfully, his hands picking up where they left off in carding through Bad's hair. 

They sit like that for around four minutes before the peace is broken by Bad surging up towards the toilet bowl again, though he doesn't manage to do more than spit up some bile. Skeppy pats his shoulder sympathetically. 

"Let's get you back to bed, buddy. I'll get the vomit bucket." 

________________

Getting Bad back to his room turns out to be troublesome, as Bad's vision has begun to double and he is having trouble putting one foot in front of the other. Skeppy manages to support him despite Bad having a few feet of height on him, and the two of them manage to make it to the demon's room without incident. 

Once Bad is secured in bed, Skeppy gets up, presumably to get the vomit bucket from under the sink, and Bad nearly grabs his sleeve and begs him to stay, only barely managing to refrain. He knows he gets clingy when he's sick, Skeppy teases him endlessly for it. Bad smiles when he thinks of how his friend only ever teases him after he's recovered, after the first time Bad had fallen ill around his friend and burst into tears when Skeppy called him a teasing nickname. It was the first time Skeppy ever made Bad cry and the demon is pretty sure it has traumatized him to this day. 

Bad chuckles softly at the memory. It wasn't Skeppy's fault. Bad has a tendency to get weepy when he's sick, and the younger man didn't know that. Bad doesn't get sick often, but now whenever he does, Skeppy dotes on him like a mother hen, constantly by his side, only leaving to get potions or food. 

To Bad's annoyance, he can feel his eyes welling up with tears again at the thought. Unfortunately, Skeppy chooses that exact moment to walk in, and nearly drops the bucket when he sees the tears rolling down Bad's cheeks, glowing in the dark room, irritatingly impossible to hide. 

Skeppy practically teleports across the room to Bad's bedside, grabbing one of the demon's large, clawed hands in his. 

"Bad? What's wrong? Where does it hurt?" Skeppy asks frantically, and Bad lets out a wet chuckle at his friend's endearing worry. 

"I'm okay. I mean, I feel awful, but I'm okay." Skeppy wipes a tear from Bad's face with his thumb, and the demon nearly bursts into renewed tears at the tenderness. "I'm just thinking about how lucky I am to have someone like you." 

When Skeppy blushes, he glows. Not in the metaphorical sense, though Bad thinks that's true as well. With him being gemfolk, his blood is bioluminescent, meaning when he's flustered, it's extremely obvious. 

His friend is practically illuminating the entire room now, and he hides his face behind his hands, though it does little good, beams of blue light spill out from between his fingers. Bad chuckles. 

"Sorry," Bad says, and then gags. Skeppy yelps and shoves the bucket into his arms. 

Luckily, if you can call it luck, Bad is now only capable of dry heaving and occasionally spitting up bile. Skeppy takes the bucket from his trembling hands and sets it on the ground next to his bed, frowning sympathetically as Bad lays back onto his bed with a groan. 

"Are you  _ sure _ you didn't eat something weird?" Skeppy asks, tilting his head. Bad tries to think back, but his pounding headache is taking up a majority of his brainpower. 

"No, no. Nothing comes to mind." Bad mutters. Skeppy puts a hand to his forehead and frowns. 

"You definitely have a fever," The younger man stands. "I'll go get some cold cloths." 

Bad hums in agreement and watches his friend leave. Sitting alone in the darkness of the room, Bad becomes aware of a terrible itching on his palm. He scratches it absentmindedly, and then immediately draws his hand away with a yelp of pain at the stabbing shock of agony that lances up the entirety of his arm. Bad stares down at his hand, blinking quickly in an attempt to clear his swimming vision. 

"Oh no..." Bad mutters as he stares at the swollen bite on his hand, muted horror and disgust slowly making their way to his mind. When Skeppy returns with a bowl of cold water and soaked dishcloths, he hesitates in the doorway at the expression on Bad's face. 

"What's with the long face?" Skeppy asks, making Bad let out a weak chuckle at his friend's attempt at humor. 

"You were right about the spider," Bad says miserably, burying his face in his pillow. Skeppy frowns as he walks closer to the bed, setting down the supplies he had brought on the bedside table. 

"There's no way that tiny spider made you this sick," Skeppy says, brows furrowed. He puts a hand to Bad's forehead and his frown deepens. "I know I was being dramatic, but it wasn't poisonous." 

Bad groans in displeasure, partially at the stab of pain that jolts through his head, and partially at the realization of why the spider bite had made him so sick. 

"Skeppy, I'm Netherborn." Bad groans, closing his eyes, the faint light of the moon may as well have been a floodlight for how it stabs into his brain. Skeppy stares at him, uncomprehending. 

"I didn't evolve to process spider venom because there are no spiders in the Nether." Bad explains quickly, shoving down his annoyance at having to explain while in this much pain. It isn't Skeppy's fault he doesn't know. Skeppy's mouth opens in a silent 'oh' of understanding, and then is immediately replaced with guilt. 

"Oh no, I know that look," Bad groans. "Do  _ not _ start blaming yourself, mister." Skeppy frowns and flops down onto the bed dramatically. 

"No, no, this one's on me, Bad," Skeppy says in a rare show of sincerity. "I could have just killed the spider and been done with it, but I was all dramatic and made you do it. And now look at you!" Skeppy says, gesturing to Bad's trembling form. 

Bad takes Skeppy's hand in his own, squeezing gently, too weak with sickness to worry about accidentally injuring the younger man with his demonic strength. Bad tries to smile at his friend, though he's sure it looks more like a grimace than anything remotely positive. 

"Skeppy. You couldn't have known that this was going to happen. If anything this was my fault-" Skeppy makes a noise of protest and Bad holds up a large hand to silence him. The gemfolk falls silent with a stony look. "I was the one who did research on this, me not being able to process venom is the same reason you're scared of spiders. It's not either of our faults, okay? This one's on nature." 

Skeppy huffs out a laugh and lies on Bad's chest as he often does. 

"Fuck nature. I'm gonna kick nature's ass." Skeppy says, muffled from where his face is buried in the crook of Bad's neck. Bad opens his mouth to reprimand the younger man for swearing, but nothing comes out. His chest seizes with panic as he realizes that he can't breathe. Skeppy looks up, concerned, clearly having expected Bad to tell him off, and his expression immediately drops into apprehension when he sees the frozen look of terror on the demon's face. Skeppy scrambles up so that he is on his knees, straddling Bad's chest, and at any other time Bad would be shoving him off and blushing, but right now he is a little too focused on the fact that he can't breathe and he's going to die and he'll come back but it's going to feel awful- 

Bad lets out a choked whimper, the sound desperate and stifled, and if Skeppy was scared before, then now he's reached a whole different level. Bad can see the moment his friend realizes how serious this is and snaps back to himself. 

The smaller man rolls Bad onto his side, something that Bad distantly recognizes as the recovery position, and he can breathe again. He nearly sobs in relief, though it is quickly overtaken by renewed panic when he realizes barely any air is getting to his lungs. It feels like he's breathing through a straw, and not even one of the big ones that people use for smoothies. One of the red ones that are on coffee shop counters in metal cups. Bad's breath whistles as it passes through his narrowing windpipe, and he distantly hears Skeppy swearing enough to make Quackity blush, but he isn't going to waste what little breath he has to tell him off. 

He can feel tears rolling down his cheeks, half due to panic and half due to his eyes watering from all the blood rushing to his face. His eyes flick to Skeppy, and despite his lack of traditional pupils, Skeppy seems to know that he's looking, because he takes the demon's hand in two of his own and pulls it to his chest. The gemfolk's eyes are blown wide with worry, Bad tries to pull in another breath, another hitching sob escaping him when his attempt at breathing is met with nothing but a shallow wheeze. He squeezes Skeppy's hand twice, a signal they had made up in their more domestic moments. A wordless 'I love you'. 

Right now it feels more like a goodbye, they both can sense it. Sure, it wouldn't be permanent, but respawning is a messy process, especially for someone like Bad. Skeppy sucks in a large breath and Bad only has a moment to think 'well now you're just showing off' before lips are pressing against his.

Now Bad is extremely confused. He's heard of kissing someone when they're dying, but he would be back, slowly waking up in his own bed in a couple of days. Then there is a cold finger in his mouth and now the kiss is decidedly less sweet. The finger pries his mouth open, like Bad is a dog who ate a piece of plastic off the floor. Once Bad's lips have parted, Skeppy breathes out, and Bad breathes in. 

Bad could sob with relief at the sensation of air in his lungs. It's stale and tastes like morning breath, but Bad doesn't blame Skeppy for that. It's not exactly like he had time to brush his teeth when he found Bad lying on the bathroom floor. Bad looks up to see Skeppy watching him worriedly, making sure he isn't about to suffocate and Bad gives him a crooked smile. 

Skeppy sinks in relief and Bad breathes out, tapping his friend on the shoulder gently, a wordless request to breathe for him again shining in his eyes. Skeppy obliges and takes in a deep breath before quickly pressing his face to Bad's, not wanting his body to start turning the oxygen to carbon dioxide before he could get it to Bad. 

Embarrassingly enough, Bad chases the kiss a little when his friend pulls away, though he tells himself he's just chasing the high of being able to breathe. Skeppy gives him a smirk that tells him he is going to be teased endlessly for it in the coming days.

They lie there for several minutes, silence intercut with loud gasps for air as Skeppy breathes for Bad. 

Eventually, Bad is able to breathe on his own again, however weakly, and both of them sink in relief. 

"Thank Prime that's over," Skeppy says, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. "Kissing someone who just vomited is not pleasant." 

Bad shoves him weakly, mumbling an insult into his pillow. He thinks he would be embarrassed right now if this were anyone but Skeppy. The mental imagery of any other person not only seeing him when he is this sick but kissing him, even out of necessity, makes him shudder. Bad is glad Skeppy is here. He's always glad for that, but right now he doesn't know how he'd manage without him. 

Skeppy seems to catch that he's not in the mood to banter, bless him, and instead scooches up the bed to sit next to Bad. He puts a hand on his forehead and frowns at the temperature. 

"Do you think that's going to happen again?" Bad asks warily as Skeppy leans over to the bedside table to get a wet cloth for Bad's forehead. His friend pauses in his movements, but starts up again just as fast. 

"I don't know. Your biology is way different than mine," Skeppy says, lying the cloth on Bad's forehead and making him shiver at the feeling. "But if it does, I'll still be here. I can breathe enough for the both of us. My lungs are so powerful and manly." 

Bad laughs weakly at the joke and pretends not to notice the pride on Skeppy's face as he turns away to get more water. 

"You've been around Tommy too much," Bad says. Skeppy huffs in mock annoyance. 

"You mean he's been around me," He corrects. "That kid never leaves me alone." 

Bad smiles. 

"He thinks you're cool, I think," The demon says faintly, and Skeppy smiles. 

"I am cool, he's right."

The two of them lay together for a while, a nervousness tensing both their shoulders as they wait to see if Bad is going to drop dead any time soon. A half-hour passes, and Skeppy finally deems it safe enough for him to go to the kitchen and get milk and healing potions. 

Bad has never seen Skeppy move so fast, watching with muted amusement as he jets out of the room. He hears crashing from downstairs, and something that sounds suspiciously like glass breaking, and then, within a minute, Skeppy is back with an armful of bright pink potions and a bucket of milk, eyes wide as he scans Bad's blanket-clad form, as though to make sure he hadn't spontaneously keeled over in the forty seconds he had been out of the room. 

Skeppy relaxes upon seeing him and sets down his array of supplies on the bedside table, which is getting rather full at the moment. Maybe Bad should invest in a bigger table. 

Skeppy ends up having to give him the potion manually, as his hands are shaking too badly to hold it without spilling it all over himself. Bad would be embarrassed about having to be fed like he’s still an impling if he could focus on anything but keeping it down despite the roiling of his stomach. 

He doesn't manage to do so, neither of them are surprised, and Skeppy rubs his back sympathetically as he coughs the potion back up into the designated vomit bucket. 

Bad suggests splash potions, but Skeppy vehemently declines. Splash potions are only used in the heat of battle, and for good reason. For one thing, they leave shards of broken glass everywhere, so breaking one in Bad's bed isn't the best idea, and for another, they burn when they touch your skin. 

So they are going to have to do this the old-fashioned way. 

Skeppy promises to stay awake, but encourages Bad to sleep. The demon is barely able to get his protests out before Skeppy is shushing him with an incredulous look. 

"You’re sick, stupid," Skeppy says, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "You need to sleep, and I need to stay up and make sure you don't crumble away into dust." 

Bad grumbles a bit at being treated like glass, but he supposes his friend's worry isn't unfounded. He  _ had _ almost suffocated barely an hour ago. So the demon wraps blankets around himself, though they are quickly taken away by Skeppy, who insists he just use sheets so as not to worsen his fever. Bad tamps down his annoyance, he knows his friend is right but it's so hard to remember that when he can't stop shivering. 

Bad sleeps under Skeppy's watchful eye, his dreams are confusing and quick-paced, but they scare him all the same. He wakes up with a gasp multiple times, though he is quickly lulled back to unconsciousness by Skeppy running his fingers through his hair. 

He wakes up twice not being able to breathe, and he doesn't need to say anything before Skeppy is pushing air into his lungs, seemingly reading the panic on Bad's face. Once the ordeal is over and Bad can breathe on his own again, he falls back into sleep, exhausted from the panic. 

Bad wakes up completely at noon the next day, blinking tiredly in the sun. He turns to see Skeppy still sitting awake, though he appears to be spaced out. 

"Oh 'Geppy," Bad says, voice cracking from sleep. "Did you really not go to sleep last night?" Skeppy blinks at him, seemingly taking a moment to process Bad's question. 

"I told you I would keep an eye on you," Skeppy defends. Bad rolls his eyes. It isn't really visible given his solid white eyes, but Skeppy always seems to know anyway. The gemfolk shoves his shoulder in retaliation. 

"Well I'm feeling a lot better now, so you can go to sleep," Bad says, and it's not even untrue. Though he still has a pinch of nausea in his gut and his head hurts something awful, the tightness in his chest has gone away completely. 

Skeppy gives him a distrustful look and Bad throws his hands up in surrender. 

"Really! I do!" He insists, though Skeppy doesn't waver. Bad thinks for a moment and then lifts the blankets that cover him, noting that there are a few more on him than when he had gone to bed. Skeppy must have seen his shivering and put more blankets on him as his fever went down. Bad's heart swells, but he doesn't say anything, not wanting his focus to stray from his friend's lack of sleep. 

"Well, I'm still tired," Bad says, unspoken offer clear in his voice. "I don't think it's gonna get worse but I'm  _ so _ cold from the fever..." Bad trails off, turning wide, sad eyes up to Skeppy. 

"If only someone would come cuddle me..." Bad says, sing-song, and Skeppy's resolve breaks. 

"Ugh! Fine, but I'm not sleeping." Skeppy says irritably, climbing under the blankets and slotting himself against Bad's chest like he belongs there, which, Bad reasons, he kind of does. 

"You're not cold, you liar," Skeppy grumbles, no doubt feeling the heat radiating off of him from lying under the blankets. Bad chuckles and wraps his arms around Skeppy in case he tries to get up. 

"Fine, hold me down. Use your freaky demon strength against me, I don't care, I'm not sleeping." Skeppy says into Bad's shoulder.

Bad makes a bet with himself, though he has never been a gambling man. He bets that he can get Skeppy to fall asleep in five minutes flat. 

He snuggles closer to Skeppy, holding him against his chest and blocking out all of the midday light streaming in from their window. Skeppy struggles slightly, but Bad doesn't relent. Eventually, the younger man's struggles taper out and he gives a huff of resignation that tickles Bad's collarbone. 

"You’re doing this on purpose, you jerk," Skeppy says, voice muffled by Bad's short layer of fur. 

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about," Bad lies. 

When Skeppy's breathing still hasn't fallen off into soft, relaxed snores after three minutes, Bad turns on his secret weapon, something he rarely does consciously.

He starts to purr. 

It begins low in his chest, sounding like one of Fundy's jets is flying somewhere in the distance, but it grows in volume until it buzzes through them both. Bad feels Skeppy begin to relax in his grip, the droning noise lulling him into sleep. 

Bad smiles triumphantly when Skeppy starts to snore, though he makes no attempt to stifle his purring now that the job is done. He's content to just lie here, blinking sleepily in the midday sun, his best friend curled into him and snoring like a freight train. It would be perfect if not for the lingering smell of vomit that permeates the air. Oh well, Bad can clean up later when he doesn't have an armful of Skeppy. 

Bad thinks Skeppy is going to have to be the one to take out the spiders from now on. Despite his friend's fear, he has a feeling it isn’t going to be much of an argument. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> damn i really look at a nine-foot tall demon and go 'yeah this thing is just a big cat'
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed please leave a comment, nothing better to encourage me to keep writing hint hint nudge nudge.
> 
> if you have a request for a chapter, you can comment here or reach me on tumblr @ratspleen and on twitter under @rat_spleen

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you want to send a request, my tumblr is @ratspleen! Remember that it's not guaranteed, but definitely a possibility!
> 
> If you liked this chapter leave a comment! It really inspires me to keep writing, and I read every single one!
> 
> thank you!


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